Executive Functions or Skills

What is an Executive Function?

Having encouraged you to read Smart but Scattered (see first post), I thought some thoughts would be in order on what exactly executive functions or executive skills are.

Smart but Scattered defines those skills as "certain habits of mind ....required to execute tasks: getting organized, planning, initiating work, staying on task, controlling impulses, regulating emotions, being adaptable and resilient - just about everything a child needs to negotiate the typical demands of childhood at school, at home, and with friends.  Some kids lack certain executive skills or lag behind in developing them."

Resources

In addition to Smart but Scattered, check out Nurture for the Future for ideas and games that you might already have in your home.

As you scroll down the page of the link, you will find many, many activities.  Suggestion: try one or two and see how it goes.

I was particularly interested in the Walking Meditation.

Further down the page are links to Story Telling.  One of the activities we have played with our grandchildren is one we call "The Add-on Story'.  We started with our two oldest grandsons (now in their late teens) and are now playing it with our younger grandchildren.  One person starts the story, and then stops after giving just a few details. (Once upon a time a young girl named ...... was building a tree house.) Now it's time for the next person to move the story along.  Depending on the ages of the children, it might be appropriate to go child, adult, child and so on.  It's a great dinner-table activity with no props needed!

This activity works on the executive skills of: task initiation, response inhibition (have to wait your turn), emotional control (don't get upset if the part of the story you told gets 'adjusted' by someone else), working memory (where was this story going?), and sustained attention.

Working with your child's teacher

If you want to explore ways to help your child's teachers get on board with Executive Skills/Functions, send them to Pathway2Success  So many great ideas.  

What am I going to do next?

Well, first I'm going to stop looking at websites because the two I've posted here have so many wonderful ideas.  Second, I'm going to look at the Walking Meditation for starting at least one of my tutoring sessions (if the weather cooperates).  Third, I'm going to create my own Task Cards to use during our tutoring sessions.

What are you going to do?

Please share with me what you have tried so that I can share with other parents.  It takes a village!